Some of the worlds most exciting 3D artists share their top tricks and pro tips to help you master modeling and become an all-round better artist
Some of the worlds most exciting 3D artists share their top tricks and pro tips to help you master modeling and become an all-round better artist
Measure Tool 3ds Max
If concept artists are the dreamers of the 3D world, then the texture artists are the detail guys. These are the people who believe not only in dotting every i and crossing every t, but polishing every blade of grass too, and giving even the newest and cleanest tank a tiny spot of rust. And if thats naturally you, then you probably love giving your work texture. If its not naturally you, then read on, and see if what our experts say inspire you to mess up those models a little.
'You dont need to create all the tiny details in your sculpting software. Many times, especially when texturing cloth or other types of small tileable details, I use Photoshop to add those details José Alves da Silva
Tip 1: Hair today, gone tomorrow
I model the hair meshes on my characters as neatly as I can, making the topology flow like real hair would. This way, I can UVUnwrap the model, straighten out the topology strips and then simply use a stretched (or motion blurred in Photoshop) noise texture to create the look of stylized hair strands. Andrew Hickinbottom
Every strand of hair is worth working on
The second step, after you have a basic mix of the concrete wall texture and a color to be used for the water splashing (green in this case), is to add another UVW Map modifier. Set the Map Channel parameter of the texture mask and the Map Channel parameter of the 2nd UVW Map modifier to the same value (has to be different than initial UVW Map.
Tip 2: Organic options
The Export and LOD tool included in this SDK is a MAXScript plug-in for 3ds Maxthat allows you to switch and rename the LODs, add or edit a GUID and Friendly name, verify the model and then export and view it in the simulation. The LOD and Name Tool is available in the Aces Tools drop-down menu. Games artist and tools developer Shawn Olson has released all of his Wall Worm 3ds Max plugins for free, having recently joined Autodesk to work on the 3ds Max product management team. The plugins include modelling, normal editing and layout tools, particularly for creating game levels. A collectiong of handy utility tools for 3ds Max game artists. TexTools: Toolbox for the texture artist. Saved by Pedro Moncayo. 3d Design Game Design Basic Software 3ds Max Tutorials Uv Mapping 3d Tutorial 3d Max Environment.
Useful tools like the Dry brush in Mudbox (and similar brushes on equivalent software) can help quickly to paint worn-out zones in organic and non-organic surfaces. Since it can grab only peaks or valleys you can easily paint the zones of the object that are more exposed and therefore more susceptible to damage. Along with a cavity map you can quickly paint rust on hard surfaces or dust/dirt on organic objects. Presto mr.photo 4.0 free download. Carlos Ortega Elizalde
Making things dusty, dirty and generally imperfect is the name of the game
Carlos Ortega Elizalde likes to use the Dry brush in Mudbox to create some of his textures © Carlos Ortega Elizalde
Tip 3: PolyPaint in ZBrush
To PolyPaint my models I use a simple scheme I created. 1 is the main color; 2 is the secondary main color; 3 is a lighter and darker variations of the main colors; 4 is a warmer variation of the main colors blended with the color of the blood; 5 is a desaturated variation and 6 is the pattern colors. Luca Nemolato
Plan your own way of doing things, but have a system to keep your colors and textures clear
Tip 4: Overlay details on Normal maps
You dont need to create all the tiny details in your sculpting software. Many times, especially when texturing cloth or other types of small tileable details, I use Photoshop to add those details. With free software like xNormal (which installs a set of handy filters in Photoshop) you can convert a Bump map into a Normal map (Height2Normals). Then just add this Normal map on a new layer on top of your original Normal map and set the blending mode to Overlay. Change the Fill value percentage to control the intensity of the details. José Alves da Silva
Does the detail need to be on the model, or in the final image?
Metal can be hard to get right, but its worth the effort, as José Alves da Silvas work shows © José Alves da Silva
Tip 5: Exporting hair guides from ZBrush into 3ds Max
You can replicate the hair created in ZBrush with FiberMesh in 3ds Max by exporting the hair curves and using them as guides for the Hair and Fur modifier in 3ds Max. In ZBrush, in the FiberMesh menu, choose Export Curves and save it as an OBJ. In 3ds Max, choose Import from the File menu and choose the OBJ file. In the OBJ Import Options enable Shapes/Lines to be able to import the splines and also enable Import as a single mesh so that all splines are attached together into a single object. Press Import.
'Select the splines object, change the sub-object selection mode to spline and select all splines. The total number of splines shows up in the modifier (at the bottom of the Selection menu). Memorize this number. Apply the Hair and Fur (WSM) modifier to the splines. Set Hair count to the number of splines you have memorized. Disable interpolate. Set Rand. Scale to 0 and in Frizz Parameters set Frizz Root and Frizz Tip values to 0 in order to remove any randomness. Done! José Alves da Silva
Hair can be tough, but it can also be manageable
Tip 6: Paint and perfect
To create textures, I have the BodyPaint exchange plug-in to send the 3D models from 3ds Max to BodyPaint 3D. With this software I can paint and have all the tools needed to create and paint in real-time all the textures such as the Diffuse, Reflection, Bump and Normal map etc. In this way, I can create fine details for the 3D model textures and effects. Sérgio Merêces
Plug-ins are a great way to manage different textures
Tip 7: Do what you can
Complex scenes are sometimes composed of hundreds of objects, and the time it takes to make clean UVs and texture every single individual asset would take forever. Because of this, I tend to texture only objects that have high importance in the camera view. If something is in focus and has strong visibility, I will make clean UVs, paint detailed textures in Photoshop and create very detailed materials. For other objects, a combination of tileable textures, procedural noises and variation of textures per object is my way of dealing with complexity. Bercon maps can be great for randomizing textures on objects. Vertex painting in 3ds Max is also a great way to paint dirt maps of objects without the need to have good UVs. Toni Bratincevic
Rapid Tools 3ds Max
Texturing your objects to different levels of complexity can be a good approach, particularly if your scene is a complicated one
Great textures really transform an image © Toni Bratincevic
Applying a Dirt map is something Toni Bratincevic is a pro at doing © Toni Bratincevic
VertexPaint is another way to give your images detail and authenticity © Toni Bratincevic
Weld Tool 3ds Max
Tip 8: Make light work of lighting
Without proper materials in place, creating an appealing image will prove extremely difficult and the lighting (which is all about showcasing a character and/or a set) will feel like a drag. Well-built materials and textures will add visual variety to a shot and make lighting feel effortless. Francesco Giroldini
Textures are a critical part of your shot, and aid your lighting attempts too
Tip 9: Give it gloss
Glossy reflections are one of the most computationally expensive and yet indispensable elements to a convincing image and their absence can break an otherwise solid shot. Francesco Giroldini
Reflections are one of the trickiest things to get right
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Tip 10: Get the feel
When setting up your shaders always balance how diffusive vs reflective a material is. Very diffusive materials are likely to feature very dim and blurry reflections while very reflective materials are likely to not catch or bounce much diffused light. Francesco Giroldini
Thinking about real world examples is always key when it comes to texturing
Take your time
One of the great things about texturing work is that like modeling bits and pieces of it can always be re-used in the future. So putting the time and effort in now can really pay off, when you then have a massive bank of textures you can pull from in the future. And, of course, practice makes perfect, so the more you work on these details, the better theyll come out. And when youre done itll be time to light your scene and show off your handiwork, as our experts reveal their Top 10 lighting tips in our next installment..
Without proper materials in place, creating an appealing image will prove extremely difficult Francesco Giroldini
Related links check out the sites of our top tip artists:
Francesco Giroldini
Carlos Ortega Elizalde
Andrew Hickinbottom
Luca Nemolato
José Alves da Silva
Sérgio Merêces
Toni Bratincevic
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